#6. Ready for testing - Oct 2011

When I explained over the phone that I wanted to be a kidney donor, the person asked a few basic questions about my health, and then she said that they would set up the tests for me to explore further whether I could be a donor. A week later I got a three page letter in the mail with five appointments scheduled over the next two months, and detailed instructions about where they were and what they involved.

Tomorrow I go to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton for my first blood test and a glomerular filtration rate test. I had to look that up to figure out what it means, and what it actually entails. I’m not sure I can understand the science of it, but basically it sounds like it’s a test to see whether my kidney is working well. Maybe kidneys have varying degrees of success at their job; I wouldn’t know!  Mine seem to be working fine, I have no complaints. I guess tomorrow they will test and see. From what I gather, it sounds like the test involves them injecting something and eventually giving a urine sample.  They said the test will take four or five hours.

I am feeling curious and a bit nervous about starting all these tests.